With plenty of outdoors experience between them, Jack Myers and Jack Tier weren't expecting anything but a pleasant weekend during their hike along the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 2001.

However, the two Jacks, each wearing 45 pounds of gear for three days, left Shenandoah National Park a day early because their backs were aching and their feet were tired.

"We were beat. We were hurting," said Myers.

Convinced that there had to be a better way to hike, the two Jacks began experimenting with lightweight equipment that still kept campers warm. With a sewing machine and a few ideas, Myers and Tier created down quilts from scratch in Tier's Williamsburg home.

Now, after three years in business, Jacks 'R' Better is making a name for itself over the world. Backpackinglight.com, acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as "home to one of the most fanatic pound-shedders on the planet," has featured several of Jacks 'R' Better products.

The Jacks have sold their products to hikers in eight countries and 39 states, and sales continue to increase.

"We're on target to sell double what we sold last year," Myers said. "We can't keep up with the demand."

Their first product - the "Nest" - was tested on camping trips on the James River. The two found they had a cozy sleep through freezing temperatures, sleet and snow.

Myers and Tier knew they were on to something. Now the "Nest" is the company's best seller. The down-filled, under quilt is designed for the Hennessy Hammock, which has a slit on bottom that closes automatically once the camper is inside. The quilt can be used with almost any hammock, and it can be worn as a parka-length vest as well.

Most of their products are geared toward experienced campers who have learned that sleeping in a hammock is more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.

"Bridges and butts freeze before anything else," Tier said. "The trick is to stay warm on the bottom."

The "No Sniveller," another popular product, is a top quilt and a poncho rolled into one. Like the "Nest," it can be worn as well, and it can be accessorized with a removable hood and sleeves. The Basic Three-Season Hammock Quilt Set, a package that costs around $450, includes the "Nest" and the "No Sniveller" and keeps campers warm in below-zero weather.

And although the quilts offer protection against harsh weather, they're considerably lightweight. Two quilts can fit into a waterproof compression pack, the total package weighing less than 2 pounds.

Their success is a tribute not only to the Jacks' experience with reliable hiking gear, but also to their degrees in business, engineering and combined 50 years of service in the Army. They're in their third year now, and they've got five employees and two independent contractors. A tailor in Tabb takes care of the intricate stitching that ensures the quilts' durability, and a major manufacturer in Pennsylvania makes their tarps and compression bags.

"We had rain, we had wind, we had miserable weather and I stayed high and dry in my HH [Hennessy Hammock] and the under quilt," said Robert MacDowell of Swoyersville, Pa., who reviewed the Jacks' products online for the company's Web site. "It [The Nest] is a real quality piece of work. These guys did their homework and came up with a really remarkable product."